APPENDIX 2: TQF General Technical Specifications
TQF-CR99-001
TQF General Technical Specifications Version 1.1 © 2016 Taiwan Quality Food Association.
Published 2016/9/23 All rights reserved.
1/23
Taiwan Quality Food (TQF)
General Technical Specifications: Food Safety Management System
(Based on GHP, GMP, and HACCP)
1. Purpose:
These General Technical Specifications provide special guidance for food suppliers to ensure that
during food processing, packaging and transportation, the personnel, premises, facilities, equipment,
and sanitary, processing, and quality management are in conformity with good hygiene practices
(GHP), good manufacturing practices (GMP) and that through the principle of the hazard analysis and
critical control points (HACCP) will prevent operating under unsanitary conditions, and in environments
that may cause food contamination or quality deterioration. It also aims to reduce operation errors and
to establish a sound quality assurance system to ensure food safety and product quality stability.
2. Scope of application:
2.1 The scope of this guidance is applicable to food factories which supply properly packaged foods
for human consumption.
2.2 The General Technical Specifications provide the basic requirements for the establishment of
special technical specifications of food safety system for other foods.
3. Definition of special terms
3.1 Food
The term "food" as used in this manual shall mean the products and their raw materials for
human consumption, either for eating, drinking or chewing.
3.2 Materials
Refers to raw materials and packaging materials.
3.2.1 Raw materials
Refers to the constituents in edible parts of finished product, including primary raw
materials, secondary raw materials, and food additives.
3.2.1.1 Primary raw materials
Refers to the major materials used for manufacturing finished products.
3.2.1.2 Secondary raw materials
Refers to the raw materials used for manufacturing finished products excluding
primary materials and food additives.
3.2.1.3 Food additives
Refers to the material which is added to or brought into contact with food in the
course of manufacturing, processing, mixing, packing, transport and storage of food,
with the purpose of coloring, seasoning, preserving, bleaching, emulsifying, flavoring,
stabilizing the quality, fermentation, increasing viscosity, enhancing nutrition,
preventing oxidation and others.
3.2.2 Packaging material
Refers to the material used as the inner and outer packaging.
3.2.2.1 Inner packaging material:
Refers o the container which is brought into direct contact with food, such as bottle,
tin can, carton, pouch etc. and to the packaging material which wraps and covers
directly the food, such as foil, film, paper, waxed paper etc. All those materials shall
be in compliance with food sanitation and hygiene laws and regulations.
3.2.2.2 Outer packaging material:
Refers to the packaging material which is not brought into direct contact with food,
such as label, carton, wrapping materials etc.
3.3 Product
APPENDIX 2: TQF General Technical Specifications
TQF-CR99-001
TQF General Technical Specifications Version 1.1 © 2016 Taiwan Quality Food Association.
Published 2016/9/23 All rights reserved.
2/23
Refers to semi-finished product, finished product and finished product.
3.3.1 Semi-finished product
Refers to the partly processed product which must undergo further processing before it
becomes a finished product.
3.3.2 Bulk product
Refers to the product which had undergone complete processing, but not packaged or
labelled.
3.3.3 Finished product
Refers to the product which has undergone all stages of manufacturing with packaging
and labeling.
3.3.4 Perishable ready-to-eat product
Refers to the finished product which is directly supplied for human consumption not
subject to any further processing or that only needs to go through simple heating, that are
stored at room temperature or refrigerated for a short period of time, such as ready-to-eat
meals, liquid dairy products, high water activity pulses processed foods, high water activity
baked food, high water activity noodles, cold drinks, high water activity confectionery, high
water activity aquatic processed food, high water activity meat processed food, chilled
prepared food.
3.4 Premises
Refers to the entire or partial plant construction or facilities which are used in food processing,
packaging, storage etc. or their relevant operation.
3.4.1 Food processing and operation areas
Refers to the areas for handling raw material, processing and packaging.
3.4.1.1 Raw material handling area
Refers to the area that is provided for raw material to undergoing preparation,
thawing, sorting, cleaning, trimming, cutting, peeling, hulling, entrails removal,
blanching or salting operation.
3.4.1.2 Processing and preparation area
Refers to the area that is provided for materials processing operations to undergoing
cutting, grinding, mixing, blending, moulding, shaping, cooking, extracting and
improving food characteristic or preservation (such as oil extraction, starch
separation, bean paste manufacturing, emulsification, coagulation, fermentation,
sterilization, freezing or drying, etc.).
3.4.1.3 Packaging room
Refers to the place for packaging of finished product, which includes the rooms for
inner and outer packaging.
3.4.1.3.1 Inner packaging room
Refers to the place for inner packaging operation in which the packaging
material is in direct contact with the product content.
3.4.1.3.2 Outer packaging room
Refers to the place for outer packaging operation in which the packaging
material is not in direct contact with the product content.
3.4.1.4 Inner packing material preparation room
Refers to the place where the inner packaging materials that can be used directly
without requiring any further cleaning and disinfection procedures have gone through
pre-forming or have their outer packaging removed.
3.4.1.5 Buffer room
Refers to the area that was set up at the entrance of the controlled operation area to
avoid its direct connection with the exterior, when raw materials or semi-finished
products are not going through normal manufacturing process and have directly
APPENDIX 2: TQF General Technical Specifications
TQF-CR99-001
TQF General Technical Specifications Version 1.1 © 2016 Taiwan Quality Food Association.
Published 2016/9/23 All rights reserved.
3/23
accessed to the operation area.
3.4.1.6 Weighing room
Refers to the area for weighing operation of raw materials, secondary raw materials,
food additives, ingredients etc..
3.4.2 Controlled operation area
Refers to the areas where higher degree of cleanliness are required, including clean
operation area and semi-clean operation area. The entrance for both people and raw
material and the prevention of pests and vectors invasion in those areas shall be strictly
controlled.
3.4.2.1 Clean zone
Refers to the area such as the inner packaging room among others where it is
required highest degree of cleanliness.
3.4.2.2 Semi-clean zone
Refers to the processing, preparation areas among others where the required
degree of cleanliness were below the clean zone.
3.4.3 General operation area
Refers to the storage of raw material, storage of ingredients and outer packaging room
among others where the required degree of cleanliness were below the controlled
operation area.
3.4.4 Non-food handling area
Refers to the quality control (laboratory) room, office, rest room and toilet where there is
not direct involvement with food preparation or processing.
3.5 Cleaning
Refers to the operation of removing dust, scrap, stain, dirt or other possible impurities that may
contaminate the food.
3.6 Disinfection
Refers to appropriate operations to effectively kill and remove pathogenic micro-organisms
without affecting food quality or safety, by using chemical reagent and (or) physical method in
compliance with food hygiene.
3.7 Food-grade detergent
Refers to the substances employed in cleaning the equipment, utensils, containers and
packaging materials and shall not bring any risk for the food safety and hygiene.
3.8 Foreign matters:
Refers to any contaminant or undesirable substances which are mixed or adhered in the raw
material, semi-finished product, finished-product or inner packaging materials during processing
(excluding raw material), making the food to be unsafe and unhygienic.
3.9 Pests
Refers to small animal or insect which direct or indirectly contaminate the food or disseminate
diseases, such as rat, cockroach, flies and vermin.
3.10 Pathogenic micro-organism
Refers to the microorganism capable of causing food quality deterioration and having public
health significance.
3.11 Prevention of vector-borne infestation
Refers to appropriate and tangible isolation means to prevent vector invasion, such as traps,
fence with appropriate aperture, gauze, etc.
3.12 Sanitation management personnel
Refers to the staff responsible for the sanitation of the interior and exterior environment of a
plant, the premises and facilities and the health and hygiene of personnel.
3.13 Food appliances and utensils
APPENDIX 2: TQF General Technical Specifications
TQF-CR99-001
TQF General Technical Specifications Version 1.1 © 2016 Taiwan Quality Food Association.
Published 2016/9/23 All rights reserved.
4/23
Refers the devices, tools or utensils in direct contact with food or food additives.
3.14 Food contact surface
Refers to the food direct or indirect contact surfaces, including utensils and equipment contact
surface with the food. The food indirect contact surface Refers to the contact surface between
food and those surfaces from which drainage onto the food or onto surfaces that contact the
food ordinarily occurs under normal processing condition.
3.15 Appropriate
Refers to the measures taken for intending to complete the expected target or result under
good sanitary operation condition.
3.16 Shall:
Refers to a requirement that is mandatory and the criterion for conformance with the
specification requires that there be no deviation.
3.17 Should
Refers to a guideline or recommendation and noncompliance with the specification is
permissible.
3.18 Safe moisture level
Refers to a reference level of moisture which can prevent the survival of pathogenic
microorganisms, under pre-established processing, storing and distributing conditions.
Basically, a maximum safe moisture level for food is indicated by water activity (Aw). The water
activity is considered to be safe to the food if there is sufficient data to show that it does not
contribute to the growth of pathogenic microorganisms under a certain water activity.
3.19 Water activity
Refers to the indicator of free water in foods, and is the quotient of the water vapor pressure of
the food divided by the vapor pressure of pure water under the same temperature.
3.20 High water activity finished product
Refers to finished product’s water activity that are above 0.85 (inclusive).
3.21 Low water activity finished product
Refers to finished product’s water activity that are below 0.85.
3.22 Lot
Refers to the specific letters, numbers or symbols for tracing back its processing history of each
lot, while code Refers to the specific quantity of product produced during a specific period of
time or location.
3.23 Labeling
Refers to the text, pictures or symbols affixed on food, food additive or container of food-grade
detergent and packaging for indicating its name or a descriptive information.
3.24 Isolation
Refers to the partition of sites and facilities by physical means.
3.25 Separation
Separation has a broader meaning than isolation, including, physical and non-physical means
of partition. Separation of operation area may be accomplished by one or more of the following
ways, such as separation in terms of space, time, and control of air flow, use of closed system
or other effective methods.
3.26 Food Safety Management System
A systematic approach to the identification, evaluation and control of food safety hazards,
invoke the principle of hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP), and manage food
safety hazards throughout the reception of raw materials and ingredients, the manufacture,
packaging, storage and distribution.
3.27 Critical Control Points (CCP)
Refers to a point, step, or procedure of food manufacturing at which control can be applied and
prevent, eliminate or reduce a food safety hazard to an acceptable level.
APPENDIX 2: TQF General Technical Specifications
TQF-CR99-001
TQF General Technical Specifications Version 1.1 © 2016 Taiwan Quality Food Association.
Published 2016/9/23 All rights reserved.
5/23
3.28 Control limits
Refers to a maximum and/or minimum value to which a physical, biological or chemical
parameter must be controlled at a CCP to prevent, eliminate or reduce to an acceptable level
the occurrence of a food safety hazard.
3.29 Deviation
Failure to meet a critical control limit.
3.30 Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) Plan
The written document which is based upon the principles of HACCP and which delineates the
procedures to be followed.
3.31 Hazard
A biological, chemical, or physical agent that is most likely to cause illness or injury on
consumers in the absence of its control.
3.32 Hazard Analysis
The process of collecting and evaluating information on hazards associated with the food under
consideration to decide which are significant and must be addressed in the HACCP plan.
3.33 Monitoring:
To conduct a planned sequence of observations or measurements to assess whether a CCP is
under control and to produce an accurate record for future use in verification.
3.34 Control Measure:
Any action or activity that can be used to prevent, eliminate or reduce a significant biological,
chemical, or physical hazard.
3.35 Validation:
That element of verification focused on collecting and evaluating scientific and technical
information to determine if the HACCP plan, when properly implemented, will effectively control
the hazards. Validation is part of verification.
3.36 Verification:
Activities other than monitoring, that determine the validity of the HACCP plan and that the
system is operating according to the plan.
4. Factory Environment:
4.1 The factory shall not be located in areas which are liable to contamination, except otherwise,
there is an effective measure to prevent contamination.
4.2 The surroundings of the plant shall always be able to help keep clean. The open ground of the
plant site shall be paved with cement, asphalt or grasses may be planted to beautify the
environment.
4.3 The roads in the vicinity or within the plant shall be paved with cement to prevent contamination
from dust.
4.4 The processing plant shall be free from any facility able to cause odors, harmful (toxic) gases,
smoke, or other unsanitary condition.
4.5 Raising chickens, livestock or pets shall be prohibited inside the plant, with exception of guard
dogs, but they should be properly constrained to avoid food contaminating.
4.6 Drainage system shall be properly installed inside the plant. Inadequately drained areas that may
contribute to contamination and by providing a breeding ground for insects or microorganism and
shall not be tolerated in the vicinity of the plant.
4.7 The surrounding of the production site shall be constructed and designed to adequately protect
against the entrance of external contamination. If a fence was installed it shall be constructed
with insulated materials with its level no less than 30 cm from the ground level.
4.8 Premises built with staff dormitory and cafeterias, shall have the dormitory and cafeterias isolated
and separated from the manufacturing, preparation, processing, and storage areas.
APPENDIX 2: TQF General Technical Specifications
TQF-CR99-001
TQF General Technical Specifications Version 1.1 © 2016 Taiwan Quality Food Association.
Published 2016/9/23 All rights reserved.
6/23
5. Premises and Facilities
5.1 Lay-out and Space:
5.1.1 The premises shall be designed to meet food process flow, sanitation and hygienic
requirement, providing good order and tidy conditions, and to prevent cross-contamination.
5.1.2 The premises shall provide sufficient space for required facilities, including sanitation
facilities, storage areas, staff amenities, etc. Adequate working space shall be provided to
allow for satisfactory performance of all operations to ensure food safety and sanitation.
Food utensils and devises shall have a clean place for storage. Operational areas for
vegetarian food production shall not share the same production line for the production of
non-vegetarian food, and their utensils and devises shall not be shared. Ovo-vegetarian,
lactovegetarian, ovo-lactovegetarian and strict vegetarian (for whom no garlic, onion, leek,
Allium chinense, xing qu can be used as a food ingredients in their diet) production site
shall have their production line, utensils and devises effectively separated from the non-
vegetarian.
5.1.3 The food processing equipment in a food plant shall be provided with proper working space
or aisles with enough distance in between the equipment or between the equipment and
the walls. It shall provide with sufficient width to permit employees to carry out their
operations (including cleaning and sanitizing) without contaminating the food, food-contact
surfaces, or packaging material with their clothing or physical contact.
5.1.4 Laboratory in a food plant shall be provided with enough space for the installation of
experimental table and instruments to perform physical, chemical, sensorial and (or)
microbiological test. Microbiological testing laboratory shall be properly separated from the
other testing areas, especial isolation shall be made when the laboratory is equipped with
pathogenic microbial testing facility.
5.2 Premises separation
5.2.1 Different purposes premises (e.g. warehouse for raw material, packaging material, and raw
material handling area) shall be built separately or be effectively separated.
5.2.2 Premises shall be effectively separated or isolated from one another according to the
cleanliness level classification (Table 1).
Table 1: Cleanliness level classification of the different operation areas of a food manufacturing
plant.(*)
Plant facility
(arranged by processing order)
Classification of cleanliness level
Raw materials storage
Packaging material storage
Raw material handling area
Inner packaging washing area (**)
Empty bottles (cans) arrangement
area
Sterilization treatment area (for closed
system equipment and pipeline)
General operation area
Processing and preparation area
Sterilization treatment area (in case of
open system equipment)
Inner packaging materials preparation
room
Buffer room
Packing area for non-perishable ready-
to-eat finished products
Semi-clean zone Controlled
operation area
APPENDIX 2: TQF General Technical Specifications
TQF-CR99-001
TQF General Technical Specifications Version 1.1 © 2016 Taiwan Quality Food Association.
Published 2016/9/23 All rights reserved.
7/23
Cooling and storage area of final semi-
finished product of a perishable ready-
to-eat product
Packing room of perishable ready-to-
eat finished products
Clean zone
Outer packing area
Finished product storage General operation area
Quality control (testing) area
Office (***)
Change room and hand washing and
sanitizing area
Toilet
other
Non-food handling area
Notes:
(*) The classification of cleanliness level of the different operation area can be improved
according to actual conditions, and specific provisions when established.
(**) The exit of the inner packaging container washing area shall be located within the controlled
operation area.
(***) The office shall not be located in the controlled operation area (except for the production
management and quality control area, but appropriate control measures area required).
5.3 Premises structure
The Plant building shall be constructed with resistant materials enable easy cleaning and
maintain in order to prevent food, food-contact surfaces and packaging materials from being
contaminated.
5.4 Safety facilities
5.4.1 The electricity system installed inside the plant shall be waterproof.
5.4.2 Power supply shall be grounded and with circuit breaker.
5.4.3 The electrical outlet and switch shall be waterproof.
5.4.4 The electrical outlet used for different voltage shall be clearly marked and labeled.
5.4.5 Fire alarm system shall be set in all buildings and working area, in accordance with the Fire
Services Act.
5.4.6 Fire extinguisher devises and equipment shall be installed in appropriate places with strict
control to prevent food contamination.
5.5 Floor and Drainage
5.5.1 Floor shall be smooth, non-slippery, and kept clean; it shall also be free from corrosion,
cracks or accumulation of water or dust. Floors of the controlled operation area shall be
constructed with water impermeable materials.
5.5.2 Proper slope (no less than 1/100) and adequate floor drainage system shall be provided in
all areas where floors are subject to flooding-type cleaning or where normal operations
release or discharge water or other liquid waste on the floor.
5.5.3 Wastewater or effluent disposal shall be made into an adequate sewerage treatment
system or disposed of through other adequate means.
5.5.4 Drainage system shall be equipped with screen that allow water to flow and trap to prevent
solid wastes from flowing, and free of filthy odor.
5.5.5 No other pipelines shall be arranged inside the drainage system and it shall remain
unobstructed. The joint between the side and the bottom of the ditch shall have a proper
arc (the radius of the curvature shall be 3cm or above).
5.5.6 Drainage outlet shall be equipped with devices to prevent vectors from entering the facility.
APPENDIX 2: TQF General Technical Specifications
TQF-CR99-001
TQF General Technical Specifications Version 1.1 © 2016 Taiwan Quality Food Association.
Published 2016/9/23 All rights reserved.
8/23
5.5.7 The flow direction of indoor drainage should be from the area with higher requirement of
cleanliness to the area with lower requirement of cleanliness, and should be designed to
prevent the backflow of wastewater.
5.6 Roof and Ceiling
5.6.1 The roofs inside the processing, packaging and storage rooms shall be easy to clean to
prevent dust accumulation, water condensation, mold growth and it shall not shed particle
matters. The V-type supported roof in the controlled operation area or food exposure area
(except for raw material handling area) which are easy to harbor contaminant, shall be
provided with smooth ceiling easy to be clean. When the construction is made of
reinforced concrete, the roof shall be smooth and free from cracks and open joints.
5.6.2 The surface of flat-type roof or ceiling shall be constructed with white or light-colored water
proof materials. Where paint spray is required, the paint shall be anti-mold, not easy to
flake off and easy to clean.
5.6.3 Pipes and cables of steam, water or electricity shall not be located directly above the
exposed food, otherwise devices shall be installed to prevent dust and water condensation
from falling, and their exterior shall be kept clean and cleaned regularly. Air ducts should
be located at the ceiling.
5.6.4 Stairways or over-pass across production lines shall be constructed and designed so as to
avoid food and food contact surfaces in the vicinity from being contaminated and equipped
with safety devices.
5.7 Walls and Windows
5.7.1 The walls inside controlled processing area shall be constructed with non-absorbent,
smooth, easy to clean, water-impermeable and light-colored materials (except from
closed-type fermentation tank, and outdoor operations). The corner and column feet of the
wall shall have an appropriate arc (with a radius of curvature of 3 cm or above, as shown
in Figure 1) to facilitate cleaning and avoid dust and filth accumulation, except from dryer
operation area.
5.7.2 Windows that are opened frequently during operation shall be equipped with easy-to-
dismantle, easy to clean and rust resistant gauze to protect against food contamination
and to prevent vectors from entering the facility. Windows shall be kept clean and shall not
be opened during operation in the clean operation area. The windowsill in the controlled
production area shall be sloped 45 degree or more (as shown in Figure 2), if the depth of
the windowsill is more than 2 cm. If the depth is less than 2 cm, the windowsill corner shall
be filled with impervious material.
5.7.3 Windows, doors, and opening entrances in the controlled processing area shall be provided
with automatic closing screened door (or air curtain), and (or) provided with shoe cleaning
and sanitizing equipment (operation area that needs to be kept dry shall set up shoe
changing facilities). Doors shall be made of smooth, easy to clean and impermeable
strong material, and be kept closed.
5.8 Lighting
5.8.1 Facilities shall be provided with adequate lighting in all areas of the building, and be kept
clean to prevent food contamination. In principle, the lighting facilities shall not be
suspended over exposed food in any step of the production line, or otherwise, lighting
facilities shall be equipped to prevent food contamination in case of breakage or fall.
5.8.2 Lighting shall be provided so that there shall be no less than 110 lux for working tables in
the general operation area, 220 lux or above for working tables in the controlled operation
area and 540 lux or above for inspection tables. The source of artificial light shall not alter
the original food color.
5.9 Ventilation
5.9.1 The processing, packaging and storing areas shall be well ventilated, and the ventilation
system shall be kept clean. When necessary effective ventilation system should be
installed to prevent the temperature from being too high, the air condensation or odor
formation, and to keep indoor air fresh. Clean operation area of perishable ready-to-eat
APPENDIX 2: TQF General Technical Specifications
TQF-CR99-001
TQF General Technical Specifications Version 1.1 © 2016 Taiwan Quality Food Association.
Published 2016/9/23 All rights reserved.
9/23
products and finished products that require transportation at low temperature shall be
equipped with air-conditioning equipment
5.9.2 In the presence of filthy odors and gases (including vapor and toxic gases) or dusts that
may contaminate food, appropriate means of exclusion, collection or control shall be
provided.
5.9.3 The exhaust vent of the controlled operation area shall be equipped with devices to prevent
vectors from entering the facility, and the intake vent shall be equipped with air purification
devices. Both equipment should be easily disassembled for cleaning or replacement.
5.9.4 Airflow direction from low-cleanliness areas to high-cleanliness areas should be avoided,
when air conditioning, air intake and exhaust systems, or fans are used in the plant to
prevent food, food contact surfaces and internal packaging materials contamination
5.10 Water Supply
5.10.1 Water supply shall be capable of providing sufficient water, with adequate water pressure
and quality to all the plant. If necessary, there should be water storage facilities and hot
water available.
5.10.2 The reservoirs (towers and tanks) shall be made of non-toxic materials that do not
contaminate the water, they shall be cleaned regularly, kept clean and recorded.
Measures shall be taken to prevent water contamination.
5.10.3 Water used for food manufacturing shall meet potable water quality standards. When
potable water are not used, there shall be a water purification and disinfection equipment,
and pH and chlorine residual need to be tested, and recorded on a daily basis.
5.10.4 Pipeline of non-potable water (such as cooling water or waste water) that shall not be in
contact with foodstuffs and the pipeline of water for food manufacturing shall be clearly
distinguished by color and transported in completely separate piping system, there shall
be no backflow or cross-connection.
5.10.5 Groundwater sources should be located at a distance of more than 15 meters from
sources of potential pollution or contamination (septic tanks, waste dumps, etc.), and
water storage facilities should be kept at a distance of more than 3 meters away from
sources of pollution or contamination (septic tanks, waste dumps, etc.).
5.11 Hand-washing facilities
5.11.1 A sufficient number of hand-washing and hand-dryer facilities shall be provided at suitable
and convenient locations (e.g., at the entrance to the controlled operation area, toilet and
processing area). If necessary, warm or hot and cold water should be provided, and
faucets with adjustable hot and cold water should be installed.
5.11.2 Liquid soap shall be provided near the hand-washing facilities, and if necessary, hand
sanitizers dispensers shall also be provided when needed (e.g., when hands are at risk of
contaminating food if not disinfected).
5.11.3 The hand washing sink shall be made of impervious material such as stainless steel and
ceramic, and designed so that it can be easily cleaned and disinfect.
5.11.4 Hand dryer or paper towel shall be used for hand drying. When paper towels are used,
they should be thrown into an easy to clean receptacles (preferably use foot pedal hands
free bins). When using hand dryer, it shall be cleaned and disinfected regularly to prevent
contamination.
5.11.5 Faucets shall be hands free operated to prevent re-contamination after cleaning or
disinfecting.
5.11.6 Drainage of hand washing facilities shall be fitted with devises to prevent backflow, vector
entry and filthy odor.
5.11.7 A concise and easy understanding hand-washing instruction shall be posted in the vicinity
of the hand-washing facilities.
5.12 Hands-sanitizing room
5.12.1 Separated hands-sanitizing room should be provided in the entrance and exit of the
controlled operation area. (It is a must for the perishable ready-to-eat food production
APPENDIX 2: TQF General Technical Specifications
TQF-CR99-001
TQF General Technical Specifications Version 1.1 © 2016 Taiwan Quality Food Association.
Published 2016/9/23 All rights reserved.
10/23
plant).
5.12.2 In addition to the elements in 5.11, the room should be equipped with working shoes or
boots sanitizing facilities, but shoes changing areas should be provided in working areas
that need to be kept dry. When boots dips are used, the solution should be kept clean
and be able to cover the shoes upper part. The free residual chlorine concentration
should be maintained at 200ppm or more when chlorine solutions are used.
5.13 Change room
5.13.1 Change room shall be located in an appropriate and convenient location near the
controlled operation area, and separate dressing room shall be provided for men and
women. Adequate lighting and ventilation shall also be provided. The change room of a
perishable ready-to-eat factory shall be located near the hand washing and sanitizing
area.
5.13.2 There shall be enough space for staff to change clothes, and facilities such as mirror, dust
remover devices and sufficient number of personnel cabinets or lockers and shoes racks
shall be provided in these rooms.
5.14 Storage areas
5.14.1 Storage areas for raw material, packaging material, semi-finished and finished products
shall be stored separately. Chilled or frozen storage shall be provided when needed.
5.14.2 Raw materials and finished products storage shall be in a separate facility or isolated from
the other areas, and different types of items in the same storage should also be properly
separated.
5.14.3 The storage area shall be constructed so as to minimize the quality deterioration of the
raw materials, semi-finished products and finished products and to prevent contamination.
The storage area shall also be constructed with strong materials, provide sufficient
working space and should be well organized and tidy. These areas should also be
equipped with devices to protect against the entry of vectors.
5.14.4 Storage areas should be laid out to permit effective and orderly segregation of the various
categories of materials stored. Materials shall be stored on pallets, shelves, or other
effective method, and keep tidy, clean, and be at a distance of at least 5cm from the floor
and walls.
5.14.5 Chilled (frozen) storage for food products that are more prompt to microbial growth shall
be equipped with accurate temperature sensor, temperature indicator or automatic
temperature recorder, and also automatic controller or temperature alarm system shall be
installed to alert of abnormal temperature variation.
5.14.6 Chilled (frozen) storage shall be equipped with an alarm switch that connects to the
monitoring department in case a working personnel is locked inside accidentally or due to
any failure and needs to contact and get assistance from the exterior.
5.14.7 Temperature shall be recorded in the storage area, and also humidity when necessary.
5.15 Toilet facilities
5.15.1 Sufficient number of toilets shall be provided to the staff and located in appropriate and
convenient places of the plant.
5.15.2 Flush toilets shall be installed using materials that are impermeable, easy to clean and
sanitize.
5.15.3 Hand washing facilities within the toilet shall be in compliance with element 5.11, and shall
be installed near the exit.
5.15.4 Toilet doors shall remain close and shall not face directly toward the controlled operation
area, unless a transitional area is provided with air curtain control system to prevent
contamination.
5.15.5 Toilets shall be equipped with adequate illumination and well ventilated. Windows and
doors in the toilets shall be equipped with rustproof screens.
APPENDIX 2: TQF General Technical Specifications
TQF-CR99-001
TQF General Technical Specifications Version 1.1 © 2016 Taiwan Quality Food Association.
Published 2016/9/23 All rights reserved.
11/23
6. Machine and Equipment
6.1 Design
6.1.1 Food processing equipment shall be designed and constructed in a way that does not pose
a threat to food safety. It shall easily be cleaned, disinfected (and easy to disassemble as
possible) and inspected. Lubricants, metal fragments, contaminated water or other
substances shall not represent a food safety hazard when using these equipment.
6.1.2 The food contact surfaces shall be smooth, free of cracks or recesses as to reduce the
accumulation of food debris, dirt and organic matter and thus minimize the potential
microbiological growth.
6.1.3 Design shall be simple, easy to drain and easy to dry.
6.1.4 The design and construction of all equipment for storage, transportation and processing
shall be kept in a sanitary condition.
6.1.5 Equipment and appliances used in the food processing or handling area that does not come
into contact with food shall also be kept in a sanitary condition.
6.1.6 Finished coating (e.g. plating, painting, etc.) surfaces of equipment, utensils and piping
shall ensure that it does not represent any risk to food and food contact surfaces
contamination.
6.2 Material
6.2.1 Equipment and utensils in direct contact with food used in the food handling area shall be
made of corrosion-resistant, nonabsorbent materials that do not transmit toxic substances,
odors, and is capable of withstanding repeated cleaning and sanitation. Food-contact
surfaces shall be corrosion-resistant.
6.2.2 Wood shall not be used as food contact surfaces material unless it is proved that it will not
become a source of contamination.
6.3 Food processing equipment
6.3.1 The food processing equipment in a food plant shall be properly laid out to meet process
flow with sufficient space to avoid cross-contamination. The production capacity of each
equipment should be compatible with each other.
6.3.2 Instruments or recorders used for measuring, controlling or recording shall be in good
condition and be of suitable accuracy for the intended use, and periodically calibrated.
6.3.3 Compressed air or other gases which are introduced into food or used to clean food contact
surfaces or equipment shall be adequately pretreated to prevent indirect contamination.
6.4 Quality control equipment
The factory shall have adequate testing equipment for the routine QC testing and inspection to
determinate the quality of raw materials, semi-finished and finished products. When necessary,
testing and inspection shall be performed by an approved contractors or institutes when
suppliers do not possess the equipment on site.
7. Organization and Personnel
7.1 Organization and duties
7.1.1 Personnel responsible of the management of the production, quality assurance, sanitation,
labor safety and other departments shall be assigned to supervise, monitor or perform
their respective functions and activities.
7.1.2 Production supervisor are in charge of raw material handling, processing and packaging
operations. Quality assurance supervisor are responsible for the establishment of quality
standards and sampling requirements, testing and traceability management of raw
materials, intermediate and finished products. Sanitation and hygiene supervisor are
responsible for the sanitary aspects of the internal and external environment, premises
and facilities, personnel hygiene, production and cleaning operation and personnel
hygiene training. While the supervisor responsible for labor safety management are in
charge of the plant safety and defense.
APPENDIX 2: TQF General Technical Specifications
TQF-CR99-001
TQF General Technical Specifications Version 1.1 © 2016 Taiwan Quality Food Association.
Published 2016/9/23 All rights reserved.
12/23
7.1.3 It is necessary to set up a Quality Assurance Committee composed of those people who
are responsible for each department. The Committee is responsible for quality
management planning, review, supervision, assessment of the whole plant, defining and
manage the records of the food safety management system; and it is also in charge of the
development, implementation and validation of the HACCP Plan.
7.1.4 The Quality Assurance Department shall be independent from the other departments and
shall have full authority to manage quality assurance tasks. The person in charge shall
have the authority to stop production or product release.
7.1.5 The Quality Assurance Department shall designate a food testing and inspection personnel
to analyze and test the general and sanitary-hygienic quality of the products.
7.1.6 A working group for sanitation and hygiene management shall be established, comprising of
the personnel in charge of sanitation management and personnel of other departments.
The group shall be responsible for planning, evaluating, instructing and monitoring, and
auditing sanitation and hygiene matters of the whole plant.
7.1.7 The person in charge of the production and the person in charge of the quality control area
shall not be the same. However, personnel of other departments are allowed to share
interdepartmental responsibilities.
7.2 Personnel and qualification
7.2.1 The person in charge of production, quality control, sanitation management and safety
management shall be a college graduate from related fields, or have a high school or
vocational education diploma, or a higher degree with at least four years experiences in
food manufacturing.
7.2.2 Food testing personnel should have passed the government-certified examination for food
testing technicians or be graduated from related fields at university degree. If the
personnel is graduated from high school, vocational education or unrelated university
degree, the personnel shall have gone through government-approved professional training
(i.e., food testing training course), and hold a certificate of completion.
7.2.3 The person in charge of a department and the technical assistants shall receive, within
three years of employment, professional pre-employment or on-the-job training by
attending the training courses organized by government entities, research institutions or
private training organizations and hold a certificate of completion.
7.2.4 All category of specialized technical personnel shall comply with the relevant laws and
regulations stipulated by the central competent authority.
7.2.5 At least one of the Quality Assurance Committee members shall be a certified food
technologist or being graduated from a food related department with a university degree,
and have attended and passed the training courses in Good Hygiene Practice (GHP) and
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) organized by training agencies
approved by the central competent authority.
7.3 Education and training
7.3.1 New employees should receive appropriate education and training so that their capacity of
execution are in line with the production, sanitation, hygiene and quality management
requirements. Employees should set annual training plans to be carry out and
documented. The annual training program should include on-site and off-site training
courses, and the effectivity in enhancing the management and implementation capacity of
the TQF certification shall be considered during its planning.
7.3.2 Training on GHP and HACCP shall be conducted periodically (even inside the factory) for
employees engaged in food manufacturing and related operations.
7.3.3 Personnel of the Quality Assurance Committee responsible for the food safety management
system shall, at least once every three years, be subjected to HACCP related professional
training, seminars, workshops, meetings or other courses approved by the central
competent authority, with a cumulative training duration of more than 12 hours.
7.3.4 All departmental managers shall be committed to their responsibilities, lead by example,
APPENDIX 2: TQF General Technical Specifications
TQF-CR99-001
TQF General Technical Specifications Version 1.1 © 2016 Taiwan Quality Food Association.
Published 2016/9/23 All rights reserved.
13/23
and supervise and educate their staff to follow the established operating procedures or
rules.
7.3.5 Employees are required to obtain a certificate of participation in a hygiene seminar or
training course conducted by the competent health authority or approved related institution.
8. Sanitation and Hygiene Management
8.1 Establishment and implementation of the “Standard Operation Procedure for Sanitation
Management”.
8.1.1 The plant shall establish standards for sanitation management as the basis for sanitation
and hygienic management and assessment, which shall include the provisions of this chapter,
even when amendments are made.
8.1.2 A sanitation inspection plan shall be established with specification of schedules and items
to be checked, and a sanitation management personnel shall be designated to carry out
the sanitation inspection in according to the plan to confirm the sanitation condition of the
specific day and that it was actually carried out and recorded.
8.1.3 Pests and vector control measures should be developed, implemented and documented.
8.2 Environmental sanitation management
8.2.1 Roads adjacent to the factory, along with passages ways and garden inside the factory
shall always be kept clean. The open ground inside the plant shall be kept in good state of
repair without damage, accumulation of water and no dust.
8.2.2 Vegetation inside the plant shall be trimmed periodically, and accumulation and storage of
unnecessary equipment and articles are prohibited to prevent pests from entering the
facility.
8.2.3 Premises and plant facilities shall be kept in good sanitary condition and properly
maintained to protect against the contamination of food.
8.2.4 Gutters shall be kept unobstructed, with no accumulation of sludge, and waste water shall
be properly addressed and treated.
8.3 Plant facilities sanitation management
8.3.1 Facilities inside the plant shall be kept clean and in good state of maintenance at all times.
When the roof, ceiling and walls of the factory are damaged, they shall be repaired
immediately, and the ground and drainage facilities shall not be damaged or stagnant.
8.3.2 Raw material handling areas, processing and preparation areas, and toilets shall be
cleaned daily (including floors, drains, and walls) before production and disinfected when
necessary.
8.3.3 Steam generated during the operation shall not be allowed to remain inside the factory for a
long period of time and shall be vented out through effective facilities.
8.3.4 The outer surfaces of the lighting and piping shall be kept clean, and cleaned periodically.
8.3.5 Chilled (Frozen) storage shall always be kept organized and cleaned, and shall avoid water
accumulation on the ground, wall mold and other conditions that may affect food storage
sanitation condition.
8.3.6 Production and storage areas shall take effective measures to prevent or eliminate pests
and vectors, such as screens, air curtain, fences or insect traps.
8.3.7 No pest or vector or traces of it shall be found inside the plant. However, when present the
source shall be eliminated using methods that do not cause contamination of food, food
contact surfaces and inner packaging material (pesticides shall be avoided).
8.3.8 Raw materials, inner packaging materials or other unnecessary articles that are not being
immediately used shall not be keep in the controlled operation area.
8.3.9 Equipment and tools for cleaning and sanitizing shall be stored at specific designated
location.
8.3.10 Do not place or store any substance in the processing area that pose a risk to food safety.
8.3.11 Periodical cleaning and daily inspection of chlorination treatment (prior to production) are
APPENDIX 2: TQF General Technical Specifications
TQF-CR99-001
TQF General Technical Specifications Version 1.1 © 2016 Taiwan Quality Food Association.
Published 2016/9/23 All rights reserved.
14/23
recommended if reservoirs (tower or pool) are used. When using non-potable water, a
personnel shall be designated in charge of checking the residual chlorine and pH value
every day, and at least once a year a government recognized inspection agency shall
be sent to ensure that water meets potable water quality standards (with exception of
boiler water, cooling water for refrigeration compressor or evaporator, or floor cleaning
water etc.).
8.4 Machinery and equipment sanitation management
8.4.1 Equipment and appliances for manufacturing, packaging and storage, and transportation
shall be cleaned and sanitized periodically.
8.4.2 When water needs to be disposed from the equipment, it shall be design to properly collect
the water and direct it to the drainage system to avoid any contamination.
8.4.3 Cleaning agents or disinfectants used in the cleaning operation shall not contaminate food,
food contact surfaces and inner packaging materials.
8.4.4 All food contact surfaces, including the surfaces of equipment and appliances in direct
contact with food, shall be disinfected regularly and thoroughly cleaned after disinfection
to prevent food from disinfectants contamination.
8.4.5 Used equipment and appliances shall be fully cleaned after finishing production. If
disinfected, they should also be cleaned again before starting the next production (except
for those that are exposed to dry food).
8.4.6 The water used to clean the equipment and tools in direct contact with food shall meet
potable water quality standards.
8.4.7 Equipment or facilities used in food manufacturing shall not be used for other non-food
production purposes.
8.5 Personnel hygiene management
8.5.1 Hands should be kept clean and washed with cleaning detergent before starting work.
Staffs who come into direct contact with food shall keep their fingernails short, and may
not wear nail polish, jewelry and other accessories.
8.5.2 If hands are used to handle foods that are no longer be heat-treated, staff shall wear
impermeable gloves that shall be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition. Hands
shall still be cleaned before wearing gloves.
8.5.3 Operators must wear a clean work clothes and hair nets to prevent hair, dandruff and
foreign materials from falling into and contaminating the food, food contact surface or
inner packaging material. Wearing mask when necessary.
8.5.4 No smoking, chewing gum or betel nut, eating, drinking and other behavior that may cause
food contamination is allowed in the production area. It is necessary to take precautions to
protect against contamination of food, food-contact surfaces, or food-packaging materials
with microorganisms or foreign substances, including but not limited to sweat, saliva,
cosmetics, and medicines applied topically.
8.5.5 New employees shall have a health examination in a health or medical institution prior to
employment. During the course of their employment they shall also routinely undergo
health examinations which shall include relevant examinations in compliance with the
Good Hygiene Practice (GHP) provision promulgated by the Food and Drug Administration
of the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
8.5.6 Employees infected with hepatitis A, hand skin diseases, rash, abscess, wound,
tuberculosis, typhoid or other infectious diseases even in its incubation period, that may
contaminate food shall not be working in direct contact with food.
8.5.7 Hand washing and disinfection shall be properly done according to the hand washing
procedures and instructions.
8.5.8 Personal clothing should be stored in the change room and should not brought into food
handling area or equipment, appliances and utensils cleaning areas.
8.5.9 Before work (including work shift), or after using the toilet (the sign indicating washing
hands after use should be posted in the toilet), and when hands are contaminated, hands
APPENDIX 2: TQF General Technical Specifications
TQF-CR99-001
TQF General Technical Specifications Version 1.1 © 2016 Taiwan Quality Food Association.
Published 2016/9/23 All rights reserved.
15/23
shall be washed and even disinfect when necessary.
8.5.10 The access of visitors or off-site staffs shall be properly controlled. Hygienic requirements
for them should comply with those for on-site operation personnel.
8.6 Detergents and sanitation agents management
8.6.1 Detergents and sanitation agents should have been proven that it is safe and applicable for
the purpose being used.
8.6.2 Inside the food operation area, with the exception of those agents necessary for
environmental protection and sanitation purposes, other agents are not allowed in the food
operation area.
8.6.3 Sanitizing agents, sanitizers, and dangerous reagents shall be clearly identify and labeled
with indication of its toxicity and instruction of how to use, and stored and kept locked in a
specific designated location to avoid food from being contaminated. A personnel in charge
of their storage and usage should be assigned.
8.6.4 Strict preventive measures and limitations shall be taken regarding the use of pesticides
and sanitizing agents, to protect against contamination of food, food-contact surfaces, or
food-packaging materials. They shall be used by or under the supervision of a sanitation
personnel who understands their potential harm to the human body (including in the event
of food contamination).
8.7 Waste material
8.7.1 Waste material shall be collected, classified and properly disposed according to their
characteristics. Perishable waste shall be removed at least once a day, the container shall
be cleaned and disinfected after emptied.
8.7.2 Waste disposal areas shall not present bad odors or harmful (toxics) gases. It is necessary
to prevent the harboring of pests and the food, food contact surface, water source and
ground from being polluted.
8.7.3 Waste material and receptacles shall not be allowed to accumulate inside the food
operation area or outside the building to prevent the breeding of pests and vectors.
8.7.4 Raw materials handling, processing, packaging, storage and other areas, shall have waste
receptacles that are easy to clean and disinfect (with exception of the ones that are
discarded after usage), can be closed (or sealed), and regularly (at least once a day)
removed from the plant. Reusable containers should be cleaned and disinfected
immediately after discarding the content. If a large number of waste is generated, it shall
be transported outside the facility, as soon as possible, and also away from the plant, in
order to prevent pests breeding, and the contamination of water sources, ground, ground
water etc.. The machines and equipment used for waste handling shall be cleaned and
disinfected immediately upon finishing operation.
8.7.5 When there is waste exposure that may put human health and food safety in direct danger
such as chemicals, radioactive materials, pathogenic microorganisms and food spoilage,
etc. special storage facilities shall be set up.
8.7.6 Harmful (toxic) gases, waste water, litter, noise pollution, etc. shall be avoided or handled in
accordance with relevant laws and regulations in order to prevent environmental pollutions.
9. Food Production Management
9.1 Establishment and implementation of the "Standard Operation Procedure for Food Manufacturing".
9.1.1 The Production Department is responsible for the establishment and revision of the
"Standard Operation Procedure for Food Manufacturing", and approved by the quality
assurance and related departments.
9.1.2 The "Standard Operation Procedure for Food Manufacturing" shall specify the recipe,
standard operation procedure, process control standard (including at least the
manufacturing process, control object, control item, control standard value and
precautions, etc.) and machinery and equipment operation and maintenance standards.
9.1.3 The employees shall be educated and trained to carry out their work in accordance with the
APPENDIX 2: TQF General Technical Specifications
TQF-CR99-001
TQF General Technical Specifications Version 1.1 © 2016 Taiwan Quality Food Association.
Published 2016/9/23 All rights reserved.
16/23
"Standard Operation Procedure for Food Manufacturing" so as to be in compliance with
the production, sanitation, hygiene and quality control requirements.
9.2 Raw material handling
9.2.1 The factory shall establish raw material inspection standard procedure for its reception, and
shall not use primary or secondary raw materials from which microorganisms and toxic
substances (e.g., cyanide in the cassava) cannot be removed or reduced to an acceptable
level during normal processing. Semi-finished products or finished products the raw
materials, manufacturing environment, manufacturing process and quality control shall
meet the hygiene requirements of the Good Manufacturing Practices of Food Factories.
The same requirements will stand for semi-finished or finished products, which are used
as raw materials, and are produced by their own factory or outsourced.
9.2.2 Raw materials shall go through sensorial inspection before use, and if necessary, go
through selection and removal of foreign matters or substandard specification materials.
9.2.3 Fresh raw materials, should be cleaned when necessary, and the water should meet
potable water quality standards. If water is recycled, it shall be properly disinfected, and
filtered, when necessary, so as to avoid raw materials from secondary contamination.
9.2.4 Ready-to-eat finished product that are no longer going through heat treatment shall be
strictly guard against microbiological re-contamination.
9.2.5 Approved raw materials and substandard raw materials shall be stored separately, and
clearly identified.
9.2.6 Raw materials shall be stored in such a way that they can be protected from contamination
and damages, and minimize quality deterioration. When temperature and humidity control
are needed, control limits shall be established. Frozen raw materials should be kept below
-18oC, and refrigerated raw materials below 7o.C and above the freezing point of water.
9.2.7 Raw material usage shall be in accordance with the principle of first-in and first-out, and
used within the expiration date. Thawing of frozen raw materials shall be carefully
controlled to prevent quality deterioration.
9.3 Manufacturing operation
9.3.1 All food manufacturing operation procedures, including packaging and storage, shall be in
accordance with the principles of food safety and sanitation. Food shall be quickly
processed under controlled condition to minimize microbial growth and food contamination
as possible.
9.3.2 When the control of temperature, humidity, pH value, water activity, pressure, flow rate and
time are needed during operation procedures, a related control methods and control limits
shall be established and recorded, to ensure that food is not spoiled or being
contaminated by mechanical failure, time delays, temperature changes and other factors.
9.3.3 Food subject to the growth of pathogenic microorganisms, especially those that may cause
food borne deseases, shall be stored under conditions sufficient to prevent its
deterioration. To achieve the above mentioned requirement, effective measures are listed
as follows:
9.3.3.1 Core temperature of the refrigerated food shall be kept below 7oC and above freezing
point.
9.3.3.2 Frozen food shall be kept at suitable frozen state and product core temperature shall
be kept below -18oC.
9.3.3.3 Hot-holding food should keep above 60ºC.
9.3.3.4 Proper heating to kill mesophilic bacteria should be applied to those acid or acidified
foods in hermetically sealed containers stored at ambient temperature.
9.3.4 In the course of operation, appropriate methods shall be used to prevent pathogenic
microorganism growth, and to prevent food degradation during manufacturing, storage
and transportation, such as sterilization, irradiation, pasteurization, freezing, refrigeration,
and pH or water activity control.
APPENDIX 2: TQF General Technical Specifications
TQF-CR99-001
TQF General Technical Specifications Version 1.1 © 2016 Taiwan Quality Food Association.
Published 2016/9/23 All rights reserved.
17/23
9.3.5 Effective measures should be adopted to prevent raw materials, semi-finished products and
finished products from being contaminated during processing or storage.
9.3.6 The operation, utilization and maintenance of equipment, containers and utensils which are
in contact with the raw materials, semi-finished and finished products shall not
contaminate food during processing and storage. Equipment, containers and utensils in
contact with raw materials or contaminants shall not be used for handling finished food
products unless thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. Containing semi-finished food
containers shall not be directly put on the ground to avoid splashing water contamination
or cross-contamination from the bottom of the container. When entering from the general
operation area into the controlled operation area, appropriate cleaning and disinfection
measures shall be established to prevent food contamination.
9.3.7 Water for making ice cubes which directly come into contact with food during processing
shall meet the standard of potable water, and the ice cubes shall be made under sanitary
conditions.
9.3.8 Effective measures should be taken to avoid food from being contaminated with metal or
other foreign matter. This requirement may be achieved by using screen, trap, magnet,
electronic metal detector or other effective means.
9.3.9 During blanching, temperature (especially temperature of the inlet and outlet) and time shall
be strictly controlled, quickly cool down and moved to the next operation procedure.
Equipment shall be routinely cleaned to prevent thermo-resistant bacteria growth and
contamination, and to minimize its contamination. If the blanched food is cooled before
filling, the cooling medium should conform to the principle of safety, hygiene and
sanitation.
9.3.10 Food such as instant soup powder, nut, semi-dry food and dehydrated food that rely on
water activity control to prevent the growth of pathogenic micro-organisms shall be
processed and kept at safe moisture reference level. This requirement can be achieved
through the following effective means:
9.3.10.1 Adjustment of water activity.
9.3.10.2 Controlling the ratio of soluble solids and water in the finished product.
9.3.10.3 Using waterproof packages or other methods to prevent water absorption of the
finished product so that water activity does not increase to unsafe levels.
9.3.11 Foods that rely on pH control to prevent pathogenic micro-organism growth, such as acidic
or acidified foods, shall be regulated and keep the pH below 4.6. This requirement should
be achieved by one or more of the following effective methods:
9.3.11.1 Adjustment of pH values of raw material, semi-finished product and finished product.
9.3.11.2 Controlling the amount of acidic or acidified food added to the low acid food.
9.3.12 When selecting inner packaging materials, it must protect food during normal storage and
distribution, and to avoid migration of harmful substances into food and meet sanitation
and hygiene standard. Inner packaging materials shall not be reused with the exception
of glass bottles, stainless steel containers and barrels (e.g. used as water or invert syrup
container), but they shall be properly cleaned. If necessary, they shall be effectively
sterilized.
9.3.13 The use of food additives shall be in compliance with the "Standard for Specification,
Scope, Application and Limitation of Food Additives" promulgated by the Ministry of
Health and Welfare. Weighing and batch feeding procedures shall have a double check
system for process verification established, truly implemented and recorded.
9.3.14 When the total polar compounds of frying oil are above 25%, they shall not be used, and
new oil shall be replaced.
10. Quality Control
10.1 Establishment and implementation of the "Standard Operation Procedure for Quality Control"
10.1.1 The Quality Assurance Department is responsible for the establishment of the “Standard
APPENDIX 2: TQF General Technical Specifications
TQF-CR99-001
TQF General Technical Specifications Version 1.1 © 2016 Taiwan Quality Food Association.
Published 2016/9/23 All rights reserved.
18/23
Operation Procedure for Quality Control", and it shall be approved by the Production
Department and effectively implemented to ensure that food produced are suitable for
human consumption. The content of the manual shall include the provisions from section
10.2 to 10.6, as a basis for quality control ensuring product quality. It is also applicable
when amended.
10.1.2 “Process and Quality Control Engineering Flow Chart” that are based on critical control
factors shall be established for every product. Its contents shall include the scope, control
points, control limits, sampling frequency and testing methods etc., and shall be
implemented and recorded.’
10.1.3 Testing methods shall be based on promulgated normative. When a modified testing
method is adopted, it shall be checked regularly against the promulgated normative and
recorded. When there is no national normative or regulation, the supplier shall provide
clear product specification, testing items and internationally recognized testing methods
as supporting documents.
10.1.4 A control system shall be established to avoid possible biological and chemical
contamination during testing, and effectively implemented.
10.1.5 Drugs or chemicals used in quality control tests shall be used under effective conditions
and controlled.
10.1.6 An annual calibration program for measuring instruments (e.g., thermometers, pressure
gauges, weighing scale, etc.) that are important to the manufacturing process shall be
established and recorded. Meters or thermometers and pressure gauges mounted on
heat sterilization equipment that are closely related to food safety and hygiene shall be
calibrated by an authorized entity at least once a year, and effectively implemented and
recorded.
10.1.7 Appropriate statistical methods shall be used to analyze the quality control data recorded.
10.1.8 All factories shall be up-to-date with all current relevant regulations or normative
information.
10.2 Contract management
The factory shall establish and maintain written procedures for contract review and for its
operational coordination.
10.2.1 Contract review
Upon acceptance of each order placed by customers, it is necessary to review that the
requirements have been clearly written and ensure that the customer requests and
requirements can be properly met.
10.2.2 Contract amendment
Amendment of contract or purchase order shall be documented and communicated
accurately to relevant departments and executed in accordance with the revised content.
10.3 Quality control of raw materials
10.3.1 For the quality control of raw materials it is necessary to specify the quality specifications
of raw materials and packaging materials (including source information and control points
for risk and hazard), testing items, inspection criteria, sampling plan (sample containers
should be properly identified) and testing methods, and effectively implemented.
10.3.2 Suppliers evaluation procedure shall be established, which shall include the method
applied and frequency, be effectively implemented and recorded. When possible, on-site
assessment of suppliers shall be conducted.
10.3.3 Each batch of raw materials (additives) shall be inspected and approved by quality
assurance personnel before released for use. Traceability and source control measures
of raw material shall be established (including supplier's raw material quality certificate
and certificate of origin, raw material provenience details and testing reports).
Establishment of a TQF certificated products quality history or curriculum (including
product name, lot number, manufacturing plant, expiration date, ingredients of raw
APPENDIX 2: TQF General Technical Specifications
TQF-CR99-001
TQF General Technical Specifications Version 1.1 © 2016 Taiwan Quality Food Association.
Published 2016/9/23 All rights reserved.
19/23
material and its origin, raw materials testing report, finished product testing report
information). Raw materials that were not approved during inspection shall be clearly
identified, and appropriately managed.
10.3.4 Prior to release for use, it is necessary to verify that those raw materials with potential
contamination of pesticides, heavy metal or toxins are safe and the amount of residues
permitted are in compliance with regulatory requirements.
10.3.5 Inner packaging materials shall meet hygienic and sanitation normative standards, and
suppliers of those packaging materials should provide periodic test reports to verify the
compliance with food safety, sanitation and hygiene requirements. The testing reports
shall be provided again by the supplier upon changing suppliers or specification.
10.3.6 Special designated storage for food additives shall be set up and be managed and
controlled by authorized personnel who is responsible for issuing the materials and
controlling the expiration date. Log sheets with list of food additives type, registration
number under the health authority, material check-in and check-out etc. shall be
documented.
10.3.7 Raw materials which are provided by the consignor for contract manufacturing shall be
properly stored and controlled, and any missing, damaged, or out of specs materials shall
be recorded and reported to the contract supplier. When contract manufacturing products
apply for certification, the factory shall be able to trace back the source of the raw
materials and confirm the composition, purity, etc. of the product, providing supporting
documents to ensure the quality of the products. Qualification for the TQF product
certification will be withdrawn from the supplier for providing false information.
10.4 Quality control during processing
10.4.1 Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points shall be performed, and testing items, criteria
and methods for sampling and testing shall be established, effectively implemented and
documented.
10.4.2 Corrective actions and preventive measures shall be established when deviation from
control limits occur during processing, and immediate investigation and corrective action
shall be taken and documented.
10.5 Quality control of finished products
10.5.1 Quality specifications, testing items, testing standards, sampling and testing methods shall
be established.
10.5.2 Sampling retention plan shall be established for finished products, and each lot of
sampling shall be retained until expiration day of the product. Perishable ready-to-eat
finished products shall be kept for 1 to 2 days after the expiration date. Shelf life test of
finished products shall be carried out when necessary.
10.5.3 Every lot of finished products shall be subject to quality testing. Non-conforming products
shall be appropriately managed.
10.5.4 Finished products shall not contain foreign matters and toxic or pathogenic substances
that have adverse effects on humans health, and shall be in compliance with product
hygiene and sanitation normative standards.
10.6 Testing condition
Raw materials, semi-finished products, final semi-finished products and finished
products shall be properly identified, handled and controlled. When the regulation of
"Food Businesses Shall Enact Food Safety Monitoring Plan and Mandatorily Conduct
Tests and Meet the Minimum Testing Cycle and Other Relevant Matters" enacted by the
Ministry of Health and Welfare is applicable to the raw material, semi-finished product or
finished product being produced, it shall comply with the requirements of that regulation.
10.7 Non-conforming product handling
10.7.1 The factory shall establish a non-conforming product control plan, effectively implemented
and recorded.
10.7.2 Non-conforming products shall be effectively segregated and make sure that they are not
APPENDIX 2: TQF General Technical Specifications
TQF-CR99-001
TQF General Technical Specifications Version 1.1 © 2016 Taiwan Quality Food Association.
Published 2016/9/23 All rights reserved.
20/23
placed on the market; those introduced into the market shall be recalled and
appropriately managed.
11. Storage and Transport Control
11.1 Storage and transport operations and sanitation control
11.1.1 A storage and transport control procedure shall be established, it shall include inventory
control, storage management, etc.., and be effectively implemented and recorded.
11.1.2 Storage and transport method and its shall avoid direct exposure of sunlight, rain, wide
fluctuation of temperature or humidity and any direct impact or collisions to prevent the
food ingredients, composition, quality and concentration from being affected by
undesirable external factors, and maintaining food degradation at a minimum level.
11.1.3 Storage shall be always keep clean and organized, and storage items shall not be placed
directly on the ground. Cold chain storage and transportation equipment shall be
available when necessary.
11.1.4 Temperature (and humidity, if necessary) in the storage shall be recorded, and the storage
items shall be regularly checked, when abnormalities are detected, corrective action shall
be immediately performed. When possible risk of quality deterioration are presented due
to damaged packaging or prolonged storage, food products shall be re-inspected to
ensure that they have not been contaminated and the deterioration of quality is still
acceptable.
11.1.5 When temperature and humidity control are necessary, control methods and parameters
limit shall be established, documented and recorded.
11.1.6 Food items rotation shall be based on the “first in first out” principle.
11.1.7 Any item that may contaminate the raw materials, semi-finished products or finished
products are prohibited from being stored and transported with those materials and
products.
11.1.8 Incoming delivery containers and vehicles transporting purchased goods into the plant
shall be inspected, so as not to cause raw materials or plant site environmental
contamination. Outgoing delivery containers and vehicles used for food product shipping
or dispatch shall be also inspected before loading to assure food safety, sanitation and
hygiene conditions. Good transportation requiring temperature control shall have an
effective temperature control system, and be documented and recorded.
11.1.9 All records related to the production process of the food product shall be reviewed and
checked prior to shipment to ensure the integrity of information including that control
limits were in compliance, and corrective action taken and product handling was
appropriate. This inspection shall be performed by a trained and experienced personnel,
signed and dated.
11.2 Storage and transport records
Inventory and shipping records shall be established, including lot number, time, location,
destination, quantity etc., in order to be recalled quickly when any problem comes up.
12. Labeling
12.1 Product labeling shall be in compliance with the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation.
When that regulation is not applicable, other relevant laws and regulations of central competent
authorities shall be applied.
12.2 Retail products label shall be presented in Chinese and generic symbols with the following
information and must be set off in a frame text box (in the below order):
12.2.1 Product name.
12.2.2 List of ingredients and product weight, capacity or quantity. When it is a mixed ingredient,
each component shall be also listed.
12.2.3 List of food additives.
APPENDIX 2: TQF General Technical Specifications
TQF-CR99-001
TQF General Technical Specifications Version 1.1 © 2016 Taiwan Quality Food Association.
Published 2016/9/23 All rights reserved.
21/23
12.2.4 Name, address, customer service line or phone number of the manufacturer or company
in charge. When only the name of the company in charge is indicated, the use of the TQF
product certification mark is not permitted.
12.2.5 Country of origin.
12.2.6 Nutrition label.
12.2.7 Genetically modified food ingredients.
12.2.8 Expiration date. When required by the central competent authority, date of manufacture,
shelf life or preservation conditions shall be also indicated. This information shall be
printed on the packaging rather than tagged.
12.2.9 Lot number: Product lot shall be indicated by explicit or implicit code, which enables
tracing back the raw materials and ingredients records involved in the manufacturing of a
product.
12.2.10 Instructions for consumption or cooking and any special storage conditions, if necessary.
12.2.11 Other information required as indicated by the central competent authority.
12.3 It is recommended that finished products be labeled with bar code.
12.4 Outer packaging shall be labelled with the lot number to facilitate storage management and
product recall.
13. Customer Complaint Procedure and Product Recall
13.1 Customer complaint system shall be established for written or verbal complaints and
suggestions. The quality control personnel (and when necessary, with the coordination of other
relevant departments) shall investigate the root cause and make improvements, and assign a
personnel to contact the customer who filed the complaints or suggestions for explanation (or
apologies) or in appreciation for his/her comments.
13.2 A system for product recall and destruction of finished products shall be established, including
degree of product recall, scope and due date, mock recall shall be conducted at least once a
year.
13.3 The written or oral complaints and suggestions made by the customer and the finished product
recall shall be recorded, indicating product name, lot number, quantity, reason, handling date
and final resolution method. It is recommended that the records be statistically analyzed and
reviewed periodically, and the result distributed to related departments as a reference for
improvement.
13.4 Factories shall establish anomalies or defect handling procedures to address significant and
potential problems that may arise from external or internal problems or customer complaints.
14. Record Management
14.1 Records
14.1.1 Sanitation responsible personnel shall record the result of regular sanitary inspections, fill
out the hygiene management log, which include daily sanitizing work and personnel
hygiene conditions and detailed records of the corrective actions and preventive
measures.
14.1.2 The Quality Assurance Department shall record and review the results of quality control of
raw materials, semi-finished product and finished product and even the customer
complaint and product recall results. Corrective action and preventive measures shall be
recorded in detail.
14.1.3 The Production Department shall complete the production records and process operation
control records, and also corrective action and preventive measures shall be recorded in
detail.
14.1.4 All records and documents shall be presented in Chinese.
14.1.5 Stationaries that not easy to be erased shall be used for record writing. Every record shall
be signed and dated by responsible persons and supervisor, signature shall be use in
APPENDIX 2: TQF General Technical Specifications
TQF-CR99-001
TQF General Technical Specifications Version 1.1 © 2016 Taiwan Quality Food Association.
Published 2016/9/23 All rights reserved.
22/23
principle, when seal are used instead then special control procedure shall be established.
If the content of the record are modified, the original text shall not be completely illegible
so that the original text cannot be read, the person who made the modification shall sign
next to revised text.
14.2 Record verification
All production and quality control records shall be reviewed respectively by the Production and
Quality Control Departments to ensure that all operations are in compliance and immediate
actions shall be taken whenever an anomaly or deviation is found.
14.3 Recordkeeping
All records including inventory regulated under this provision, shall be kept at least 5 years.
15. Establishment of Management System and Auditing
15.1 Suppliers shall establish an integral effective TQF management system. The design and control
of the organization and implementation system shall have structural integrity and coordination.
15.2 Management system audit
15.2.1 Suppliers shall establish an effective internal auditing system to conduct both regular and
non-regular audits. The assessment shall be carried out by all levels of management
staffs in order to identify potential problems of the plant and to give a reasonable solution,
corrective action and tracking.
15.2.2 An internal auditor shall be properly trained, and it shall be documented and recorded.
15.2.3 Suppliers shall establish an effective internal audit plan and specify the frequency of audits
(on a three-month basis), and shall be effectively implemented and recorded.
15.3 Document management system
Suppliers shall establish the relevant TQF management system documentation (including the
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point Plan). The issuance, renewal and abrogation of the
documentation shall be signed and approved by responsible person or authorized person. This
is also applicable for revisions that will ensure that the staffs responsible for the quality
operation have the valid version of the operation document and is placed in the workplace for
the operator to be implemented.
15.4 Traceability system
Suppliers shall establish a product traceability system, with lot number or other trace back
method. The system should be able to trace back the product from the customer end to the raw
material supplier, and to trace forward from the raw material to the finished product.
15.5 Emergency procedure
Suppliers shall stablish procedures and contingency plans for potential emergencies and
conduct regular drills.
15.6 Improvement and update
15.6.1 During the course of operation, improvements shall be made based on the sanitation
issues, and reviewed and discussed with the sanitation control team. Continuous
operation improvement and update shall be done when necessary in accordance with
regulations and TQF requirements.
15.6.2 During the course of operation, the supplier shall identify improvement opportunities when
problems occurred in the production process, quality control, management system,
customer complaint, deviation responses, product recall, labeling, supplier assessment,
internal audit and food safety management system implementation, and reviewed and
discussed with the Quality Management Committee. Continuous operation improvement
and update shall be done when necessary in accordance with this provision. In the event
of a major or sudden food safety incident, or for any reason the product was removed
from the shelf and recalled, the supplier shall notify Taiwan Quality Food Association and
the certification body with priority.
APPENDIX 2: TQF General Technical Specifications
TQF-CR99-001
TQF General Technical Specifications Version 1.1 © 2016 Taiwan Quality Food Association.
Published 2016/9/23 All rights reserved.
23/23
16. Food Safety Management System
16.1 The plant shall establish a food safety management system, and identify all the hazards
associated with the process of raw material approval, production, packaging, storage and
transport and conduct a hazard analysis, determination of critical control points, control limits,
and shall monitor and establish corrective action and preventive measures.
16.1.1 Hazard analysis shall be implemented to identify the frequency and severity of the
hazard based on the product characteristic, the intended use of the product and the
actual production flow chart.
16.1.2 Control critical points shall be based on the information obtained from the hazard
analysis.
16.1.3 Control limits shall be established for each critical control point.
16.1.4 Monitoring items, methods, frequency and enforcement personnel of each critical control
point shall be determine and listed out to avoid deviation from control limits.
16.1.5 Corrective actions shall be established for each critical control point corresponding to
the deviations from the control limits, and the control measures shall ensure that the root
cause of deviation has been corrected.
16.1.6 Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point plan validation procedures shall be established.
When the hazard analysis or hazard analysis plan have changed, the system shall be re-
validated.
16.2 When food hazards, critical control points and control limits are basically the same, they can be
classified as the same Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points plan.
16.3 If necessary, the food quality management responsible person shall reevaluate whether the
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point program shall be revised.
17. Complementary provision
17.1 When the content of these technical specifications are in conflict with existing national laws and
regulations, then the existing laws and regulations shall prevail. Compliance dates for the
implementation of the Food Safety Control System (HACCP) is subject to the announcements
of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Manufacturers shall establish the HACCP system before
any announcement of the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
17.2 This provision and its amendment shall come into force from the date of publication.